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To Protect the Land
Forever
Sonoma Land Trust
2011–2012 Report to the Community
1

Dear Friends,
Our message in this Report to the Community is
“full steam ahead!”
It has been a challenging year. Public funding — the source
of much of our capital — is drying up. Existing parks aren’t
just threatened with closure; they are not being maintained.
Still, Sonoma Land Trust is playing a long-term game. If
the scenic, natural, agricultural and open landscapes we know
and love are going to be here generations from now, the work
Ralph Benson and Denny Van Ness
it takes to protect them must roll on without interruption. And, happily, it has, thanks to the many of
you who support Sonoma Land Trust and whose names are listed in the following pages.
We are persistent in our land acquisitions and in our land restoration work. This past year was
marked with significant milestones in the restoration of a thousand acres of tidal wetlands on the Bay
and in placing thousands of acres of redwood/fir forest at Jenner on a trajectory toward a biologically
diverse future with very big trees.
If you look at topographic and vegetative maps of Sonoma County, you will see that there is one
open, natural land bridge across the Valley of the Moon where wildlife might cross from the Mayacamas
Range to Sonoma Mountain, which forms the eastern backdrop to Petaluma. It happens to include
Stuart Creek, which runs through our Glen Oaks Ranch across Highway 12 to Stuart Creek Run,
which is shown on the cover of this report. In the coming years, with the help of our loyal supporters,
we will remove fish barriers on the pictured property, create a lovely roadside park and widen the wildlife
corridor through the Valley of the Moon up to Jack London State Park. Hats off to our partners at the
Sonoma Ecology Center who have mapped this terrain so well.
And speaking of partners, we are delighted that LandPaths will be managing the newly established
Bohemia Ecological Preserve near Occidental, the acquisition of which was a long time in coming.
Again, persistence paid off.
In Sonoma County, it’s all about the land. The land is the foundation of our economy and our
community’s health and well-being. Thank you for helping to protect the land forever.
Denny Van Ness, Board Chair
Ralph Benson, Executive Director
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COVER PHOTO: Along with the potential for restoring steelhead to the creek, lovely Stuart Creek Run
in Glen Ellen will be an ideal spot for a picnic or a stroll. Photo by Scott Hess Photography.

The Napa side of Live Oaks Ranch in the Mayacamas is wild and uncultivated. Bequeathed to Sonoma Land Trust in 2010, our
stewardship staff has been restoring buildings on the property and cleaning it up in anticipation of future guided hikes and
volunteer workdays. Photo by Stephen Joseph Photography.
Land trusts come in several forms. Some focus on conservation easements, some protect land
and give it to other agencies to manage, some buy properties and make them into preserves,
and some — like Sonoma Land Trust — do it all. Why? Because, at one million acres, Sonoma
County is the largest county in the Bay Area and it is also one of the most biologically diverse
places in the entire United States.
Despite all of the land protection successes Sonoma Land
Trust and the Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and
Open Space District have amassed over the years, a recent
report from Greenbelt Alliance reminds us that a quarter
of our county still enjoys little protection from urban sprawl
or rural subdivision. We still have a great deal of work to
do to protect our scenic and ecologically important landscapes
for all time, but with your help, we will continue to
preserve what we all love most about Sonoma County.
We also have a lot to celebrate. Taken together, the projects
that occupied us last year and this year cover the entire
spectrum of our work: We purchased property, we protected
“Nature is not a place to visit. It is home.”
— Gary Snyder
land with easements, we restored land, we did research and
planned how to take the best care of our properties, we
planted trees, we got people out on the land, we introduced
children to the joys of working on the land, we protected
endangered species, we repaired historical buildings, we
secured funding to help other agencies save land, and we even
played a role in keeping our local state parks open. After
protecting more than 27,000 acres, your land trust continues
to push the boundaries every day to ensure that our children
and grandchildren can enjoy the same scenic landscapes, and
clean air and water, that we enjoy today. After all, as we like to
say, in Sonoma County, it all starts with the land!
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“Loss of the world’s genetic diversity …
is the folly our descendants are least likely
to forgive us.”
— E.O. Wilson
Clearing the way for fish to run
Early last year, we jumped on an opportunity to purchase
a little 3.5-acre gem in Glen Ellen that we subsequently
named Stuart Creek Run. Though considerably smaller
than most of the properties we seek, this one holds big
potential — by removing the fish barriers within Stuart
Creek that were built decades ago, we’ll be able to provide
safe passage to high-quality spawning and rearing habitat
for steelhead once again. In time, we also plan to create a
roadside park on the property where residents and visitors
to the Sonoma Valley will be able to enjoy a picnic
or take a stroll along the creek. Currently, our stewardship
staff is working with Sonoma Ecology Center,
the Department of Fish and Game, and the National
Marine Fisheries Service to determine the best way to
remove the barriers at the lowest cost.
Protecting the coast at Rocky Point
The North Coast of Sonoma County contains a wealth of
grassland and forestland that is largely unprotected and is,
thus, a high priority for Sonoma Land Trust. Many of the
properties in this region are working landscapes, where
cattle graze and timber is harvested. North of the Jenner
Headlands, we’ve received a donation of a conservation
easement on a 255-acre property called Rocky Point that
straddles Highway 1 and contains a variety of habitats.
This conservation easement prohibits future development,
and ensures that the forests and coastal prairie
will be well managed in perpetuity. The owners possess
a strong land ethic and are committed to using the
resources on their land in a sustainable manner. We are
grateful for their foresight in protecting their dramatic
coastal landscape.
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The main canyon in the Cedars is now protected public land thanks to Save the Redwoods, the Coastal Conservancy,
the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, and former landowners Roger Raiche and David McCrory. This geologically and
botanically unique region near Cazadero is a conservation priority of Sonoma Land Trust. Photo by Scott Hess Photography.

Working together, Sonoma Land Trust and LandPaths created a long-awaited preserve at Bohemia Ranch near Occidental.
Here, Sonoma Land Trust stewardship director Bob Neale and LandPaths’ Rebecca Abbruzzese take a moment to enjoy
the stunning scenery. Photo by Erik Castro.
Preserving the rarest ecosystem
of them all
If you haven’t heard of the Cedars, you are not alone.
Many residents of Cazadero, which is the closest town,
don’t know about it either! The Cedars is remote and
truly a world of its own — a land of deep serpentine
canyons, weirdly beautiful rock formations, moonscapelike
terrain, and rare and unusual plants. Because of its
geologically and botanically unique ecosystem, the Cedars
Conservation Region has been a priority for several years.
In 2007, Sonoma Land Trust purchased a 40-acre property
at the gateway to the region; in 2009, we published
a conservation plan for the region; last year, we worked
with Save the Redwoods League to protect the 500-acre
Main Canyon property; and this year, with funding from
the Resources Legacy Fund, we purchased a conservation
easement on a remarkably diverse 160-acre property that
the Larsen Family has worked hard to reforest during their
40-year ownership.
“Uniformity is not nature’s way;
diversity is nature’s way.”
— Vandana Shiva
Bohemia Ranch — worth the wait
It seemed like the whole county made a joyful noise when
Bohemia Ranch finally closed escrow and Bohemia Ecological
Preserve was born. It was a long haul, starting in the late 1990s
— but protecting significant landscapes isn’t about immediate
gratification; it takes time and tenacity. Sonoma Land Trust
never gave up on securing this spectacular property for the
public and, working in partnership with LandPaths, we completed
a complicated transaction that protects the entire ranch
and creates a 554-acre nature preserve. Now, this beautiful
forested land with a year-round waterfall and serpentine
flower fields has been protected forever — and people will
have ample opportunity for getting out and enjoying it.
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“One cannot be pessimistic about the West.
When it fully learns that cooperation, not
rugged individualism, is the quality that most
characterizes and preserves it ... then it has a
chance to create a society to match its scenery.”
— Wallace Stegner
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Bringing people together
Saving state parks
A year ago, we were all stunned to learn that 70
state parks were slated for closure — five in Sonoma
County! While everyone was still reeling from the
news, Sonoma Land Trust executive director Ralph
Benson met with Caryl Hart of Regional Parks and
Bill Keene of the Open Space District, and offered to
fund a forum to generate solutions.
Thus, the Parks Alliance of Sonoma County was
born, an ad hoc organization that has been remarkably
successful in supporting the nonprofit groups
that have worked diligently to contract with the
state to run Sonoma County’s state parks. The result
of Sonoma Land Trust taking the initiative on this
issue of tremendous concern to all of us is that, as
of July 1 of this year, all Sonoma County state parks
remained open — and will continue to stay open for
the foreseeable future with the ongoing support of
the Parks Alliance. It’s astonishing what becomes
possible when people of good hearts and minds
come together to solve a communal problem.
Forestry conference
More recently, Sonoma Land Trust convened more
than 150 foresters, landowners, economists and
conservation professionals to discuss the importance
of keeping our Sonoma County forests ecologically
and economically viable. This three-day North Coast
Forest Conservation Conference held at Shone
Farm was a wonderful coming together of individuals
interested in protecting the ecological resources of
the Redwood Empire and our way of life. Thank you
to the Sonoma County Forest Conservation Working
Group and the California Northern Region Land
Trust Council for partnering with us on this enlightening
endeavor that will have far-reaching benefits.
Sonoma Land Trust — the go-to partner
Working collaboratively with our partner groups to create
a society that matches Sonoma County’s unparalleled scenery
is one of Sonoma Land Trust’s goals. For us, the bottom line is
the land itself; if there is a good project on the table and we
have the resources to help, we will. That is why other groups
often request our assistance with structuring and financing
transactions, as the Open Space District did to find funding
for Sonoma Mountain Ranch in 2009, and as Regional
Parks has recently done in asking our help to fund the final
297 acres in the Mayacamas that it is hoped will complete
the future Mark West Creek Regional Park and Open Space
Preserve. Our acquisitions staff is highly experienced and well
regarded, and their assistance to other organizations has led to
the protection of additional signature landscapes in our county.
Sharing the land with others
Developing a land ethic in the community is only possible
when people get out of their normal routines and engage in
meaningful experiences on the land. When we give people
the opportunity to stretch their legs on our trails, paint
a watercolor by a creek, learn the differences between raptor
species, immerse their whole being in a tumble of wildflowers,
and participate in a workshop about grasslands or forest
ecology, we are helping our fellow community members
develop their own personal sense of place. This is the role
of Sonoma Land Trust’s On the Land program, which
began in 2011 and is quickly expanding. Between the public
hike series on the Jenner Headlands, our annual wildflower
and raptor hikes, open days at Glen Oaks Ranch, environmental
education outings with our partner groups, and
volunteer workdays on any number of properties, “kids of
all ages” enjoyed outdoor activities with the Land Trust
last year. This year, the public hike series is taking it further
with even more outings that engage one’s senses and mind.
Look for a fall schedule soon that will knock your hiking
boots off!

The Jenner Headlands is a raptor thoroughfare, with more than 90 birds of prey per hour flying by during the peak of
the fall migration. This has made our raptor hike series very popular! Photo by Ingrid Stearns.
“The very process of restoring the land
to health is the process through which we
become attuned to Nature and,
through Nature, with ourselves.”
— Chris Maser, author of Forest Primeval
Taking care of the land
You’ve heard it before: Acquiring a property is just the first
step. After that, our stewardship team delves deep into the
land to learn all about its resources and condition, sets in place
a plan for restoring it based on the latest science, and then does
what needs to be done. That is different for every property,
but because of our large acquisitions in recent years, Sonoma
Land Trust always has major restoration projects going on
all fronts. At Tolay Creek Ranch, we’ve planted hundreds of
trees to return the stream to a healthier state. At Pitkin Marsh,
our intensive hand-weeding method has contributed to an
increase of 723 percent of the highly endangered white sedge.
At Live Oaks Ranch, we’ve been repairing the residences and,
at Glen Oaks Ranch, we’ve received a large donation that will
enable us to restore the historic stone barn. Glen Oaks Ranch
has also been the focus of considerable trail building and
native plantings.
Student Conservation Association members helped clear trails
at Laufenburg Ranch last spring. Photo by Bob Neale.
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“Something will have gone out of us as
a people if we ever let the remaining
wilderness be destroyed.”
— Wallace Stegner
Above: Students from Project Regeneration, a program of
Conservation Corps North Bay, spent a day digging homes for
burrowing owls at Sears Point Ranch — and found an interesting
skull along the way.
Below: Construction will begin soon on 1,000 acres of tidal marsh
that we will restore at Sears Point Ranch along the edge of San
Francisco Bay. Both photos by Scott Hess Photography.
But the biggest stories are taking place at the Jenner
Headlands and Sears Point Ranch. After several years of
planning and fundraising, the Baylands Center has been
built to great acclaim. Thank you to architect Olle Lundberg
who donated his formidable talent in designing this stunning
structure, which has become a greatly admired meeting
place for our hikes and other events. To relax on the deck
and watch the resident wild animals and birds hunt and play
amidst the grasslands is a great pleasure. Also, earlier this
year, the final EIR for the Sears Point Wetland Restoration
Project was certified. That is an enormous step and means
that we can soon start to restore the historic tidal marsh.
Our Jenner Headlands team, which includes staff from
both Sonoma Land Trust and our partner The Wildlands
Conservancy, has been in a race the last couple of years to
research and develop the comprehensive management plan
that will guide our restoration and outreach activities for the
property. This “tome” was completed on time this spring and
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Our spring wildflower hikes have become an annual ritual drawing people from all over the Bay Area. Here, Baylands
program manager Julian Meisler (seated left) discusses the various plants and grasses found at Sears Point Ranch.
Photo by Ellen Gavazza.
“Look! Look! Look deep into nature and
you will understand everything.”
— Albert Einstein
contains the goals and strategies for managing this 5,630-
acre property in a way that will conserve and enhance its
substantial ecological resources while providing greater
public recreation opportunities. By using active land management
tools, such as grazing and tree thinning, we will
keep the coastal grasslands in good shape and grow the
forests older and healthier. We’ll also be building a parking
lot along Highway 1 as a key step toward opening the
property for hiking at will in addition to the guided hikes
that are currently offered.
Your support drives our conservation work
Sonoma Land Trust exists to make sure our remaining
wild lands remain intact. Even in this tough economic
climate, our efforts to save land have not diminished.
The Gordon and Betty
Moore Foundation
Over the past decade, the Gordon and Betty
Moore Foundation has had a transformative
effect on conservation and the landscapes of
Sonoma County through its San Francisco
Bay Area Program.
The Foundation made possible the acquisition
and restoration of Sears Point, Tolay Creek
and the Jenner Headlands. They also provided
grants leading to the creation of the Bohemia
Ecological Preserve and the protection of the
main canyon at the Cedars, and they have
funded the Sonoma County Agricultural
Preservation and Open Space District to
demonstrate the economic value of open space.
Across the board, the recent progress that
has been made protecting Sonoma County’s
natural landscapes has been propelled by
the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation’s
visionary philanthropy.
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This spring marked the fourth year of a grassland monitoring project at the Estero Americano Preserve, done in partnership
between Sonoma State University, the California Native Plant Society and Sonoma Land Trust. Photo by Ingrid Stearns.
Jean Schulz Wildflower Meadow
In gratitude for Jean Schulz’s extraordinary
contribution that helped to protect the Jenner
Headlands, the scenic meadow that overlooks
the ocean and bursts into bloom each spring has
been named the Jean Schulz Wildflower Meadow.
Her gift ensures that future generations will be able
to stand in this beautiful flowering meadow and
see the same dazzling view that we enjoy today.
Rather, with the help of our donors, we are moving ahead
faster than ever before.
Thank you for donating to your local land trust. Your
contributions remain right here in Sonoma County’s
economy and are put to work preserving what you love
most about this beautiful place. Virtually everywhere you
go in Sonoma County, you gaze upon land that has been
protected forever by your donations.
Individual donations established the Parks Alliance,
allowed us to protect the four properties described earlier,
are expanding our On the Land Program, will be helping
to bring steelhead back to Stuart Creek and are enabling us
pursue a new regional park in the Mayacamas.
“The Holy Land is everywhere.”
— Black Elk
It certainly is in Sonoma County. Thank you for being a vital
part of the work we do to preserve forever what we all love
about this exceptional place we call home.
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Our diversified portfolio of conservation projects
ANCHOR PRESERVES
Acreage
1 Baylands: Sears Point 2,327
2 Estero Americano Preserve 127
3 Glen Oaks Ranch 236
4 Jenner Headlands 5,630
5 Laufenburg Ranch 179
6 Little Black Mountain 500
owned in fee
7 Baylands: Leonard Ranch 244
8 Baylands: North Parcel 279
9 Baylands: Tolay Creek Ranch 1,665
10 Cedars: Gateway 40
11 Freezeout Redwoods 89
12 Live Oaks Ranch 572
13 Lower Pitkin Marsh 27
14 Secret Pasture 300
15 Sonoma Creek 2
16 Stuart Creek Run 3.5
17 White Rock Preserve 92
Conservation Easements
18 Airport Boulevard 50
19 Bald Mountain Ranch 420
20 Baylands: Lower Ranch 528
21 Baylands: Tolay Creek Riparian 36
22 Bear Canyon 96
23 Blucher Creek 7
24 Bohemia Ranch 964
25 Canelis Old-Growth Redwoods 1
26 Cuffeys Cove 1,068
27 Dimbat Tree Farm (Larsen) 160
28 Drake Family 34
29 Elarra 60
30 Enchanted Wood 8
31 Finley Creek 240
32 Fish Rock Ranch 7
33 Gird Creek 99
34 Knaus Forest at Nuns Canyon 36
35 Little Creek 40
36 Mason 18
Acreage
37 Middle Reach 44
38 Mill Creek Old Growth 54
39 Morgan’s Hill 22
40 Mother Gardens at OAEC 3
41 Nefertierra 78
42 Oak Hill Farm 677
43 OGA Little Creek 73
44 Old Hill Ranch 37
45 Quail Hill 81
46 Rancheria Creek Recesses 602
47 River Bend 32
48 Rock Fall Woods 31
49 Rocky Point 255
50 Santa Rosa Creek Headwaters 162
51 Sassin 6
52 Summerfield Waldorf School 32
53 Sunrise Redwoods 20
54 Van Winkle Redwoods 46
55 Ward Creek 240
56 Watson Ranch 530
57 West Ridge Knolls 74
58 Wild Turkey Hill 8
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE—ACQUISITION
59 Cedars: Main Canyon 500
60 Cloudy Bend 388
61 Harrison Grade Serpentine 32
62 Laguna de Santa Rosa 535
63 McCord Ranch 2,786
64 Rigler Preserve 370
65 Sonoma Mountain Ranch 283
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE—stewardship
66 Baylands: Petaluma River Marsh 49
67 Bel Marin Keys 1,500
Transfer
68 Baylands: Halperin Baylands 11
69 Baylands: Sonoma Baylands 348
70 Red Hill 910
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Financial Statements
The amounts presented here are derived from the Sonoma Land Trust’s audited financial statements for the years
ending December 31, 2011 and December 31, 2010. Copies of the audited report of financial statements are available
upon request.
STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION AT DECEMBER 31
ASSETS 2011 2010
Cash and cash equivalents $ 3,915,741 $ 7,142,642
Investments 5,256,674 2,488,560
Contracts and other receivables 469,897 1,288,729
Pledges receivable 329,574 591,640
Deposits and other assets 67,106 52,271
Conservation lands and easements 66,984,547 66,965,736
Property and equipment, net 920,447 935,130
Total Assets $ 77,943,986 $ 79,464,708
Liabilities and net ASSETS
Liabilities
Accounts payable and accrued expenses $ 402,749 $ 339,393
Deferred income 237,699 282,546
Short-term note payable 140,000 –
Current maturities of long-term debt – 3,508
Long-term non-recourse debt – –
Total Liabilities $ 780,448 $ 625,447
Net Assets
Unrestricted
Available for operation $ 3,465,252 $ 4,771,314
Board designated — conservation projects 787,662 707,870
Investment in conservation lands 66,984,547 66,453,736
Total unrestricted net assets $ 71,237,461 $ 71,932,920
Temporarily restricted net assets 5,926,077 6,906,341
Total Net Assets $ 77,163,538 $ 78,839,261
Total Liabilities and Net Assets $ 77,943,986 $ 79,464,708
Statement of Activities for the Years Ended December 31
revenue and support
Contributions and grants $ 1,751,746 $ 6,281,904
In-kind contributions 17,667 11,200
In-kind contributions: Conservation land & improvements 21,944 1,106,957
Project income 906,692 890,348
Investment income (92,086) 179,246
Other gains (losses) (7,741) (4,346)
Total Revenue and Support $ 2,598,222 $ 8,465,309
EXPENDITURES
Projects and stewardship $ 3,123,604 $ 2,276,143
Governance and administrative 711,749 665,920
Fundraising 375,092 395,608
Total Expenditures $ 4,270,445 $ 3,337,671
Net income before land acquisitions & donations $(1,672,223) $ 5,127,638
Land acquisition expenses (3,500)
Land acquisition contributions (net) – 12,905,244
Net income after land acquisitions & donations $ (1,675,723) $ 18,032,882
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nonprofit
u.s. postage paid
petaluma, ca
permit no. 201
966 Sonoma Avenue
Santa Rosa, CA 95404
www.sonomalandtrust.org
Denny Van Ness, Chair
Robert Brent
Neal Fishman
Ken Freeman
Mark Jacobsen
Board of Directors
Kirsten Lindquist
Pete Mattson
Bill Osterland
Darren Peterie
Harry Richardson
Maggie Salenger
Allison Sanford
Wendy Smit
Margaret Spaulding
Carol Williams
John Ash
Phillip Carlsen
Karen Collins
Anthony Crabb
Ethel Daly
Chris Dobson
Cynthia Doubleday
Ted Eliot
Leadership Council
Michael Ellis
Joni Fritsche
Thomas Garrett, M.D.
Barbara Grasseschi
Mary Hafner
Michael Hogan
Carolyn Johnson
Bill Kortum
MaryClare Lawrence
Peter Leveque
Jean Schulz
Daphne Smith
Clay Stephens
Anne Teller
Rick Theis
Michael Wright
Kristine Acquino, Acquisitions Project Associate
Karen Arrington, Development Manager
Sheri Cardo, Director of Communications
Dale Carroll, Accounting Assistant
Amy Chesnut, Acquisitions Director
Paul DeMarco, Director of Finance & Administration
Kara Doolin, Stewardship Assistant Project Manager
Brook Edwards, Jenner Headlands Project Manager
Wendy Eliot, Conservation Director
Georgiana Hale, Conservation Easement Stewardship Manager
Staff
Ralph Benson,
Executive Director
Editor/Writer: Sheri Cardo
Julie Jehly, Acquisitions Project Assistant
Joseph Kinyon, GIS Manager
Reta Lockert, Donor Relations Director
Julian Meisler, Baylands Program Manager
Bob Neale, Stewardship Director
Tony Nelson, Stewardship Project Manager
Elizabeth Newton, Office Manager
Bev Scottland, Development Director
Ingrid Stearns, Outings Coordinator
Shanti Wright, Stewardship Project Manager
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The Sonoma Land Trust protects the scenic, natural, agricultural and open landscapes of
Sonoma County for the benefit of the community and future generations by:
• Developing long-term land protection strategies
• Promoting private and public funding for land conservation
• Acquiring land and conservation easements
• Practicing stewardship, including the restoration of conservation properties
•Promoting a sense of place and a land ethic through activities, education and outreach
Printed on recycled paper using soy-based inks